Back to EveryPatent.com
United States Patent |
5,749,462
|
Houghton
|
May 12, 1998
|
Improvements in flip-top type carton containers
Abstract
A flip-top type carton container having a top held in a closed position by
deflecting, such as by pushing inwardly, a part of the front panel of the
top behind a liner panel, which is located internally of an external front
panel of a body part. The deflection is usually accomplished by pushing
inwardly on the lower regions of the top part when the top part is lowered
into a closed position, and the lower regions of the top part may comprise
one or more lugs, which may be of arcuate shape. The container thereby
provides more convenient and more positive closure than previously
available.
Inventors:
|
Houghton; Kenneth Arthur (Hull, GB2)
|
Assignee:
|
Reckitt & Colman Products Limited (London, GB)
|
Appl. No.:
|
654757 |
Filed:
|
May 30, 1996 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S. Class: |
206/268; 206/273; 229/149; 229/160.1 |
Intern'l Class: |
B65D 085/10; B65D 043/16 |
Field of Search: |
206/268,273
229/160.1,149,225
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
2011438 | Aug., 1935 | Daller.
| |
2361597 | Oct., 1944 | Buttery | 229/149.
|
2361659 | Oct., 1944 | Smith | 229/160.
|
2865498 | Dec., 1958 | Ringler | 206/273.
|
3039671 | Jun., 1962 | Chiamardas.
| |
3078030 | Feb., 1963 | Gorton.
| |
3910487 | Oct., 1975 | Jaeschke.
| |
5036982 | Aug., 1991 | Aston | 229/160.
|
5511722 | Apr., 1996 | Dixon.
| |
Foreign Patent Documents |
2846467 A1 | Aug., 1980 | DE.
| |
469274 | Jul., 1937 | GB | 206/273.
|
508312 | Nov., 1938 | GB.
| |
587336 | Jan., 1946 | GB.
| |
Primary Examiner: Gehman; Bryon P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fish & Richardson P.C.
Claims
I claim:
1. A breachable flip-top container having:
a body part including a front panel and a liner panel internal of the front
panel, said liner panel having an upper edge; and
a top part hingedly connected to the body part and having an edge defined
by a break line and having a lug extending from the top part
characterized in that when the container is breached, and the top part is
in a closed position, the lug is inwardly deflected and engaged over and
behind a part of the upper edge of the liner panel.
2. A flip-top container according to claim 1, characterized in that the lug
has a width, which is smaller than the width of the container.
3. A breachable flip-top container according to claim 2, characterised in
that the lug engageable with the liner panel has an arcuate configuration.
4. A flip-top container according to claim 2 characterized in that the lug
has an arcuate configuration.
Description
This invention relates to containers and, more specifically, to so-called
"flip-top" containers.
Flip top containers are well known in the art and generally comprise a body
part and a top part hingedly connected to the body part. The body part is
defined by a front panel, two side wall panels, a rear panel, two inner
side wall panels, an inner front panel and a bottom panel. The top part is
defined by a front panel, two outer side wall panels, at least one inner
side wall panel, a rear panel and a top panel.
In this specification the terms "top" and "bottom" refer to the flip-top
container when said container is standing on the bottom panel of the body
part with the top part uppermost and the terms "front" and "rear" relate
to a container when the container is upright and the hinge of the top part
with the body part is rearmost.
As stated, the body part is connected to the top part by a hinge, which
extends along the top edge of the rear panel of the body part and along
the bottom edge of the rear panel of the top part. Said hinge allows the
top part to rotate about the axis of the hinge between an open condition
of the container, and in which condition the contents of the container are
exposed for access, and a closure condition of the container in which the
contents are fully contained within the container.
Most flip-top containers are made from a blank, of relatively stiff paper
or card, and the blank is folded along predetermined lines with
overlapping parts of the blank glued together to the required
configuration. In such a case the hinge may be formed by a weakened line,
perforated or scored, and in practice the top part can be hingedly
displaced between its open and closed conditions a number of times before
the hinge fails.
A problem with flip-top containers resides in the fact that once the
container is breached there is a difficulty in closing the container to
fully protect the contents thereof. In practice the body part may include
a front panel liner, inward of the front panel of the body part, and which
extends into the top part to assist in retaining the top part in its
closure position. However, in practice, that part of the liner which
protrudes into the top part is readily deformed and the frictional forces
which hold the liner and the top part in contacting relationship are
reduced, so that accidental opening of the lid is facilitated.
The present invention seeks to provide a flip-top type container wherein
the top can be more positively held in a closure condition than flip-top
containers known to date.
According to the present invention there is provided a flip-top container
comprising a body part and a top part hingedly connected to the body part
and wherein there is provided a liner panel, internally of and generally
in contact with the external front panel of the body part, characterised
in that said liner panel extends upwardly of the external front panel of
the body part and, when the container has been breached, part of the lower
regions of the front panel of the top part can be deflected to engage
behind the upward protrusion of the liner panel.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a flip-top
container comprising a body part and a top part hingedly connected to the
body part and wherein there is provided a liner panel, internally of and
generally in contact with the external front panel of the top part,
characterised in that said liner panel extends downwardly from the
external front panel of the top part and, when the container has been
breached, part of the upper regions of the front panel of the body part
can be deflected to engage behind the downward protrusion of the liner
panel.
Preferably that part of the front panel to be deflected to engage behind
the protruding liner panel comprises a lug.
Preferably the lug has a width which is smaller than the width of the
container.
In one embodiment the part presenting the lug presents a plurality of lugs
in side by side relationship and all said lugs are engageable behind the
liner panel.
In another embodiment the lug engageable with the liner panel has an
arcuate configuration.
In a preferred embodiment said top part is attached to the bottom part by
spaced apart unperforated container material and said unperforated
material is spaced from the junction of the lug with the edge of the panel
supporting said lug.
The invention will now be described further to way of example with
reference to the accompany drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows a front view of a blank for a flip top container in accordance
with the invention
FIG. 2 shows, in perspective view, a partially formed flip-top container
and
FIG. 3 shows a flip-top container fully formed and in open condition.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 a blank 11 for a flip-top container
generally comprises an external side wall panel 12, an external front
panel 13, an external side wall panel 14, an external rear panel 15, an
inner side wall panel 16, an inner front panel 17, and an inner side wall
panel 18. The external side wall panel 12 includes upper inner fixing
panel 19 and a lower inner fixing panel 20, the external front panel 13
includes an external top panel 21 and a bottom external panel 22, the side
wall panel 14 includes an inner top closure panel 23 and a bottom inner
closure panel 24, the rear panel 15 includes an inner top closure panel 25
and an inner bottom closure panel 26 which is attached to the lower
regions of rear wall panel 15.
The blank 11 includes a crease line 28 between the side wall panel 12 and
the front panel 13, a crease line 29 between the panels 13 and 14, a
crease line 30 between the panels 14 and 15, a crease line 31 between the
panels 15 and 16, a crease line 32 between the panels 16 and 17 and a
crease line 33 between the panels 17 and 18.
The panels 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 lie in side by side relationship
and, when the blank is folded along the crease lines 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
and 33, with each fold making a substantially right angle fold along said
crease lines 28 to 33 inclusive, the blank 11 has a rectangular tube-like
form with side wall panel 12 overlaying the internal panel 16, the panel
17 extending between crease lines 28 and 29 inwardly of and immediately
adjacent the front panel 13, and the inner side wall panel 18 lying
immediately adjacent, and forming an inner panel in contact with, the
external side wall panel 14.
The panel 27 has an area of adhesive 27a applied thereto, the panel 16 has
an area of adhesive 16a applied thereto and the panel 18 has an area 18a
of adhesive applied thereto. When the adhesive areas 16a, 27a and 18a are
activated, and the blank 11 has been folded to form a rectangular tube,
the adhesive on areas 16a, 27a and 18a retain their respective panels 16
and 18 in contact with side wall panels 12 and 14, as shown in FIG. 2.
When now the top part is to be formed the panel 19 is folded along the
crease line 34 between panels 12 and 19, a fold is made along the crease
line 36 between panels 14 and 23, a fold is made along the crease line 37
between the panels 15 and 25 and a fold is made along the crease line 35
between the panels 13 and 21. The panels 19 and 23 lie lowermost of the
panels forming the top of the top part and present upwardly exposed
adhesive areas 19a and 23a, respectively. When areas 19a and 23a are
activated they secure the panels 19 and 23 to the panel 25 and the
external panel 21 overlies and is attached to the panel 25 by activation
of an area of adhesive 25a, on panel 25.
The bottom of the container is formed by folding the blank along the fold
line 38 between panels 12 and 20, along the fold line 40 between panels 14
and 24, along the fold line 41 between the panels 15 and 26 and along the
fold line 39, between the panels 13 and 22. Area of adhesive 20a, applied
to panel 20, area of adhesive 24a, applied to panel 24, and area of
adhesive 26a, applied to panel 26 are activated so that the panels 20 and
24 engage and are secured to the inner surface of panel 26 and panel 22 is
secured over the panel 26.
When the panels have been folded along their respective crease lines and
the panels have been secured by the areas of adhesive, as described above,
the container is a box-like form with the top part in a closed condition
for transportation.
As will be seen from FIG. 1 the panel 12 includes a break line 42, which
slopes downwardly from the rear of the top part to the front of the top
part, the panel 13 includes a break line 43 which extends across panel 13,
the panel 14 includes a break line 44 which extends from a low position
with the break line 43 to a higher position where it crosses the folding
line 30, from folding line 30 the line 45 extends across the panel 15, to
form the hinge, and the line 46 extends across the panel 16 as a break
line.
With this construction the container can be opened by breaching the panel
12 along the line 42, the panel 13 along the line 43, the panel 14 along
the line 44 and the panel 16 along the line 46.
With the container so breached the top part is connected to the bottom part
only along the hinged line 45, and the top part can be displaced from the
closure condition by simply rotating it about the hinge formed along the
line 45, and when fully opened the contents of the container are fully
exposed.
The improvement made in the present invention is along the break line 43
and wherein approximately one third of the distance in from each of the
crease lines 28 and 29 the break line 43 is straight and aligned but
between said straight and aligned break lines the line 43 dips downwardly
to include a lug 43a, which depends downwardly relative to the container
and has an arcuate form.
When the line 43 is formed by perforations or a heavily scored line to
facilitate breaching of the container, the unperforated or stronger narrow
parts of the panel 13, indicated by numeral 13a, assist in holding the
container closed prior to breaching of the container. In a preferred form
of the present invention, said relatively unweakened or unperforated
strips of material 13a are spaced from the junction of the arcuate
downwardly depending lug 43a with the straight break lines 43 on either
side thereof. The panel 12 may also include an unweakened or unperforated
strip 12a to assist in strengthening the unbreached container.
When the container has been breached, the top part is allowed to rotate
relative to the bottom part along the hinged line 45. In the breached
condition the free upper edge 47 of the liner panel 17 is located above
the lowermost regions of the arcuate recess in the front panel 13 of the
bottom part, which arcuate recess is formed by the lug 43a breaking away
from the bottom part. When the container is to be closed, the user will
simply deflect the central regions of the front panel of the top part to
allow the lug 43a to pass behind the liner panel 17 and, in this position,
the top part is effectively held against opening by the liner panel 17.
It will be readily appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the break
line 43 could be reversed, so that the lug 43a is formed on the bottom
part and is upwardly depending therefrom and in such case the liner 17 may
be included in the top part, to be engageable by the lug 43a to maintain
the container in its closure condition.
It will also be appreciated that other modifications and variations will be
apparent to persons skilled in the art.
Top